Welcome to the CEZch Republic

This week - our activists in Prague displayed a banner, saying "Welcome to the CEZch Republic" on the roof of the Czech Goverment Office -- while the Czech Prime Minister spoke below. They were highlighting the scandalous decision to expand the largest source of Czech greenhouse gas emissions, Prunerov coal-fired power plant, owned by the biggest energy company, CEZ (hence the funny spelling in the banner).

Despite international and local opposittion, CEZ managed to force through their plans as the Czech Environment Ministry accepted a seriously flawed environmental impact assessment (EIA). This is a shamefully manipulated political decision that failed to respect expert analysis.

Environment Minister Rut Bizkova, a former employee of CEZ, has disregarded concerns expressed by the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a Pacific island nation highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. FSM has argued that CEZ is allowing Prunerov II's CO2 emissions to unnecessarily exacerbate climate change --by refusing to use the best available energy technology.

After the former Environment Minister, Jan Dusik, was forced to resign when he could not immediately approve CEZ’s expansion plans, Bizkova was installed as minister to force the plan through in favour of the 70 percent state-owned utility.

Bizkova has deliberately ignored national and European standards, strong opposition from Czech people, advice from environmental groups and an appeal from the FSM. She has sold them all out to boost CEZ’s profits. And in doing so - she has completely failed in her legal,democratic and moral responsibility to the Czech Republic.